House Resolution 66

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMENDING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. FANNIE MAE FORD BUTLER AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HER PASSING.

WHEREAS, "To everything there is a season, and time to every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, the grand architect of the universe, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny, has summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mrs. Fannie Mae Ford Butler, to eternal rest, as she has made life's final transition from earthly travailing to heavenly reward, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family and friends; and

WHEREAS, the Community of Bolton lost a wonderful friend and community icon on Saturday, March 14, 2015, with the passing of Mrs. Butler, a matriarch of her family and a selfless imparter of life and light who was born on June 22, 1933, in the Hinds County township of Edwards, to her beloved and late parents, Mr. Sherman and Mrs. Nola Allen Ford; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Butler, under the wise counsel of her father, who was a member of the Church of Christ of Bolton, was encouraged to expand her religious experience by taking the walk of faith and providently confessed her hope in Christ as an impressionable and spiritually convicted youth under the auspices of the Church of Christ; and

WHEREAS, from her humble beginnings in rural Hinds County, Fannie Mae, along with her siblings were recipients of a stern advocacy for education imparted by their parents, and were educated in the community church schoolhouse at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Bolton, where they were enlightened in the basic educational rudiments and the ethical values encompassed in the importance of work, family, community and the love of God; and

WHEREAS, as fate would lend itself to the building upon the blueprint divinely designed for the pattern of her life by the Great Deity and grand architect of our lives' design, Mrs. Butler's heart was pierced by the love, chivalry and affection of Mr. Willie Earl Butler, and the duo became bone of one another's bone and flesh of one another's flesh after exchanging the nuptials of holy matrimony in 1950, building a lifetime of memories to be shared with the fruitful addition of seven children and sharing in life's momentous occasions until it was orchestrated by God in divine providence to summon the life of Mr. Butler to eternal paradise; and

WHEREAS, a God-fearing Christian before all other roles she assumed, a devoted wife and nurturing mother next, Mrs. Butler was the living embodiment of a woman of Proverbs 31:10 distinction and possessing the ambitious spirit akin to that of King David, she was a woman after God's own heart, committed to her faith, her family and her friends, being an upstanding pillar of the community and dedicated member of the Order of the Eastern Star; and

WHEREAS, a lover of people who treated everyone she encountered with upmost dignity and respect, Mrs. Fannie Mae's integrity was premised on the tenets of love, kindness and compassion imparted by her parents who instilled her with a central moral compass that echoed the heart of the Good Samaritan when she opened her home, heart and kitchen to those finding themselves in need through no fault of their own; and

WHEREAS, though she has traversed the river of life to now stand on the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, to reunite with those who have transcended from mortal beings to immortal spirits and now await her arrival at St. Peter's gate, the legacy of Mrs. Butler's memory will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of her beloved survivors: daughters, Carolyn Williams, Jennifer Maberry, Honorable Representative Deborah Dixon, Jeanette Butler and Jacqueline Butler; son, Samuel Ford; 23 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren; sisters, Mrs. Nola Jones and Mrs. Alberta Davis; and a host of other relatives and friends; and

WHEREAS, we encourage the family to find solace from the overwhelming sadness created by the earthly departure of their beloved family member in Revelation 21:4, wherein is recorded, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" and renewed in their faith that Mrs. Butler fulfilled the commandment of II Timothy 4:7 by having fought a good fight, finishing her course and keeping the faith until the hour of her departure was at hand.

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend the life of a remarkably nurturing individual such as Mrs. Butler, whose life's light was an impassioned beacon of inspiration as she imparted her life's light of wisdom into the lives of all she encountered along this earthly sojourn:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss, commemorate the life and legacy of Mrs. Fannie Mae Ford Butler, and express sincere sympathy to our friend and colleague, the Honorable Representative Deborah Butler Dixon, and to her entire family and friends upon her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the surviving children of Mrs. Fannie Mae Ford Butler and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.